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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Dancing Bells And Coins

No, I didn't slow down much yesterday. We had our second quarter teacher conference for my home schooled daughter. So I spent the better part of the morning in a whirl getting her and paperwork ready. Then we headed to the library to be told we are of course doing fine and keep at it. I was initially afraid of this whole teacher/learning coach relationship. I wanted support but not to be dictated to and judged too harshly for my attempts. The fear turns out to be completely unwarranted, apparently, they just want to make sure the child learns and if they are we're all good. One more week and we'll have half the year of school knocked out. It feels pretty good.

Once we got back and finished up art class it was back to tatting for me. I decided to get this belly dance necklace that I've been going on about for months done. First I was stalled by supplies, then by other projects and finally by a lack of clear direction. The Scandal design though was a breakthrough for me. It is that rare combination of dramatic silhouette and easy construction. Usually I avoid pieced with too many individual motifs, but this one flies together. Plus creating in pieces allowed me to add the coins and bells much easier. No counting and loading on tons of them while they weigh down the thread. Just a few here and a few there.

The final piece is a custom order for an extremely patient customer. I will be getting the listing photos today and posting it for her, but I have had a pleasant reaction to it from other dancers, so I will be making another to get listed soon as well. This also opens up the potential for a whole line of jingling things. I can put bells on barefoot sandals and bracelets and I've just had a brainstorm for something of an anklet married to an ankle corset all covered in coins. I hope no one minds the distinct lack of Indian influence in the pieces. On the same subject I made up a few more of the shisha pieces so I might get them listed as a three pack. Of course I found a place that sells what appear to be machine crocheted versions for sewing on at the less than twenty bucks for 100, so the market for tatted ones might be just too ridiculously expensive to bother. I might still use the technique in my own pieces, but yeah.

I am also getting very close to revealing one of my secret project destinations. I fear I might have built up a the hype on this one a bit by being secretive, so it's not too awesome, just a first for me. Of course one is moving forward and I'm still waiting to hear back on another. It's probably best really, like when the bad guys in the movie take turns attacking the hero so he doesn't have to fight them all at once. It's not as if I've nothing to do while I wait, so I'll be patient a while longer. So today, more tatting and listing. I've got to keep moving lest I drown right?

5 comments:

Don't underestimate the value of your tatted shishas. If you're looking for something unique, which would you be looking for - mass produced crocheted? Or tatted?

Great news on the teacher conference. Sounds like you are doing a great job. BTW, did you know you can get some great materials by contacting the tourism boards of each state? Sometimes they'll send it for free and sometimes just for shipping & handling.

I love how the necklace turned out. It looks great and I bet that it sounds great, too.